On Nov. 26, 1943, the German war industry held a special air show to present some of its most advanced weapons. It was an exclusive presentation, intended for an audience of one: Adolf Hitler.

Renowned author Robert F. Dorr begins his latest book, “Fighting Hitler’s Jets,” with an account of that meeting, where the Nazi leader was briefed on the Third Reich’s newest fighting machines, including its jet-powered ME-262.

Dorr will present more details on that fateful meeting during a special presentation Saturday, April 12, at the Air Mobility Command Museum, at Dover Air Force Base.

Dorr’s talk is part of the Museum’s Hangar Flying series, and is free and open to the public.

A change in focus

With its speed and firepower, the 262 had the potential to decimate the formations of lumbering, propeller-driven American and British bombers then wreaking havoc over Germany, Dorr said, but Hitler himself didn’t seem to grasp that possibility.

Instead, he turned to manufacturer Willy Messerschmitt, and in an almost casual aside, asked if the plane, which had been designed as a fighter, also could carry bombs.

“That later would become a very important conversation,” Dorr said in a telephone interview. “Messerschmitt, who had almost nothing to do with designing the airplane that carried his name, immediate said, yes, it could.”

Hitler’s remark changed the course of the air war over Europe, Dorr added. By refocusing design efforts to make the 262 capable of carrying bombs, it took the focus away from its development as a fighter.

“If they’d been used for air-to-air operations as designed and had it been early enough, they might have been able to wipe American bombers from the skies,” Dorr said. “It might even have made it necessary to postpone the invasions at Normandy.”

In “Fighting Hitler’s Jets,” Dorr also describes the development of World War II’s only other significant jet fighter, the British-manufactured Gloster Meteor, as well as America’s entry into jet development, the P-80, which had been in production since 1943, but was not ready for combat before the end of the war.

A special bond

Dorr’s narrative brings together the stories of both the American pilots and crews who fought Hitler’s “Wunderwaffen” and the German developers and pilots who developed and flew those weapons.

He bookends his story by writing about master test pilot Karl Bauer, who was at that 1943 meeting with Hitler, told at the beginning of the book and again about Bauer, at the end of the book, when he helped teach American engineers about German technology following the war.

Page 2 of 7 - “Bauer brought to us what he knew about German jet aircraft technology, and some of that went into the designs of American jet airplanes after the war,” Dorr said. German influence was particularly in evidence in the design of the F-86 Sabre, a mainstay of the Korean War, the first large-scale conflict that made use of jet power, Dorr said.

Dorr’s appearance at the AMC Museum won’t be his first; he’s brought his knowledge of the U.S. Air Force and stories of flight to Dover several times.

“I love the AMC Museum, I love the guys there,” he said. “I’ve known them going back to the early 1990s, if not earlier. I just feel a special bond with them.”

Copies of “Fighting Hitler’s Jets” will be available at the Museum for $20, and Dorr will autograph copies free of charge

The AMC Museum is located off Route 9, south of Dover Air Force Base. Parking and admission are free, and military identification is not required.

On Nov. 26, 1943, the German war industry held a special air show to present some of its most advanced weapons. It was an exclusive presentation, intended for an audience of one: Adolf Hitler.

Renowned author Robert F. Dorr begins his latest book, “Fighting Hitler’s Jets,” with an account of that meeting, where the Nazi leader was briefed on the Third Reich’s newest fighting machines, including its jet-powered ME-262.

Dorr will present more details on that fateful meeting during a special presentation Saturday, April 12, at the Air Mobility Command Museum, at Dover Air Force Base.

Dorr’s talk is part of the Museum’s Hangar Flying series, and is free and open to the public.

A change in focus

With its speed and firepower, the 262 had the potential to decimate the formations of lumbering, propeller-driven American and British bombers then wreaking havoc over Germany, Dorr said, but Hitler himself didn’t seem to grasp that possibility.

Instead, he turned to manufacturer Willy Messerschmidt, and in an almost casual aside, asked if the plane, which had been designed as a fighter, also could carry bombs.

Page 3 of 7 - “That later would become a very important conversation,” Dorr said in a telephone interview. “Messerschmidt, who had almost nothing to do with designing the airplane that carried his name, immediate said, yes, it could.”

Hitler’s remark changed the course of the air war over Europe, Dorr added. By refocusing design efforts to make the 262 capable of carrying bombs, it took the focus away from its development as a fighter.

“If they’d been used for air-to-air operations as designed and had it been early enough, they might have been able to wipe American bombers from the skies,” Dorr said. “It might even have made it necessary to postpone the invasions at Normandy.”

In “Fighting Hitler’s Jets,” Dorr also describes the development of World War II’s only other significant jet fighter, the British-manufactured Gloster Meteor, as well as America’s entry into jet development, the P-80, which had been in production since 1943, but was not ready for combat before the end of the war.

A special bond

Dorr’s narrative brings together the stories of both the American pilots and crews who fought Hitler’s “Wunderwaffen” and the German developers and pilots who developed and flew those weapons.

He bookends his story by writing about master test pilot Karl Bauer, who was at that 1943 meeting with Hitler, told at the beginning of the book and again about Bauer, at the end of the book, when he helped teach American engineers about German technology following the war.

“Bauer brought to us what he knew about German jet aircraft technology, and some of that went into the designs of American jet airplanes after the war,” Dorr said. German influence was particularly in evidence in the design of the F-86 Sabre, a mainstay of the Korean War, the first large-scale conflict that made use of jet power, Dorr said.

Dorr’s appearance at the AMC Museum won’t be his first; he’s brought his knowledge of the U.S. Air Force and stories of flight to Dover several times.

“I love the AMC Museum, I love the guys there,” he said. “I’ve known them going back to the early 1990s, if not earlier. I just feel a special bond with them.”

Copies of “Fighting Hitler’s Jets” will be available at the Museum for $20, and Dorr will autograph copies free of charge

The AMC Museum is located off Route 9, south of Dover Air Force Base. Parking and admission are free, and military identification is not required.

Page 4 of 7 -

Subhead

Although the Allies had numerous advantages over the Nazi war machine, the Germans clearly were superior when it came to jet technology, Dorr writes.

Where the Americans had an advantage in the air was in manpower. Germany already had lost the cream of its fighter pilot corps by the time the ME-262 entered service, and American pilots flying the famous P-51 Mustang found their slower, propeller-driven airplanes often could out-maneuver the 262, despite its speed.

Dorr will be at the AMC Museum from noon until the Museum closes at 4 p.m. to autograph

They’re trying to get a quick review and determination.

The key section the’re looking at is ddealing with infamous crime.s is what mr m gone and doen and paid his sues for an infamous crime?

“I love the AMC Museum, I love the guys there,” he said. “I’ve known them going back to the early 1990s, if not earlier. I just feel a special bond with them.”

AMC

I love the musuemand I love the guys there. I’ve known then going abck to the early 90s if not earliers. I just feel a special bond with them.

75

Bauer brought to us to give us what he new about german get aircraft tech. some of that tech went tinto the eveolving designes of American jget aircraft, part the F86 sabre. Don’t know what he did exactly.

Hangar Flying: Fighting Hitler's Jets with Robert F. Dorr

Saturday, 12 April 2014

Noon to 4 p.m. — Book Signing

6:30 p.m. — Presentation

Join us at the museum on Saturday, 12 April 2014 at 6:30 p.m. for the latest in our educational and entertaining series of Hangar Flying presentations. You will have a chance to have your book signed between noon and 4 p.m.

Written by Robert F. Dorr, renowned author of Zenith Press titles Hell Hawks!, Mission to Berlin, and Mission to Tokyo, the story begins with a display of high-tech secret weapons arranged for Hitler at a time when Germany still had prospects of winning the war. It concludes with Berlin in rubble and the Allies seeking German technology in order to jumpstart their own jet-powered aviation programs. Where history and controversy collide with riveting narrative, Fighting Hitler's Jets furthers a repertoire that comprises some of the United States' most exceptional military writing.

Robert F. Dorr is an Air Force veteran, a retired senior American diplomat, the author of seventy books and thousands of magazine articles and newspaper columns about the Air Force and air warfare. His books have been praised by critics, and the Air Force Times said his last book, Mission to Berlin, "puts you in the freezing cold cockpit for a white knuckle mission over heavily fortified enemy territory." Copies of Mission to Berlin will be available for purchase with all proceeds donated to veterans' charities.

Page 5 of 7 - I hate PP. I’m a pre PP person.

I have some very reare and interesting vintage phtoos of some of the earlied jet aicrafr form both sides in WWII. I don’t know we’re going to projet those or if ill simply pass them around the audience

I’ve got a prat rare fphoto of a britah bet the gloser mdteor, the first combat jet use by the british in WWII. I served in combat, but never encountered a german jet.

The American never got a jet into compbat at all. We got very close. But one of the little known facts is that we had two P80 fighters in tialy at the time the war ended. We’d dsnet two to Englda, but one crashed and one was taken apat.

On its first flight after arriving in England and killed the pilot. The other was turned over to a british company for study, so it wasn’t used operationally.

Early 1945,

Two P80 to Italy. The record is incldar as to when they arreived, but could have been as early as January 1945. There were at an operational air base in Italy. The genral understanding is that they were there do sho the troops we had developed something new. It is possible they felw a coupel of peoperational issues. Theres’ not a lot known about them, but I’ve twhat is knwoon in them I my book

All of the major parties were triying to develop jet aircraft.

The Japanese worked rather unseuseclly on a copy of the german ME-262. The jap kikku version calle there are photos of it ine xistenace, but I don’t know if it flw

No significant Japanese jet effort.

There were people in all three major countries who were eeveloping jet enhiens. But it was only in Germany hwere it got some attention from their bosses.

In birtian, frank whittle had a patenet in 1930

In the US we had Kelly Johnson at Lockheed who designed an entire jet aircraft in the late 1930s

TBut the army wasn’t interested.

In Germany, first flight in1939. An early version ME262 in 1941.

By the tiem the war had ended, the germans had developed about half a sdozne jet and rocket paowereed aircraft. Built 1300 ME262 but only about 20 wee in service at any one time

Early jet engines were notriosuly unrelitatble.

A weapons display for hitler in nov 26, 1943 he is being shown new weapons by Hermann goerign. Goering gets confusted as to hwtat is what. Hitler turns to Willy messersmnit to find out thwat is going on.

Hitler is not as a serious question, making conversation, asks WM can this aircraft carry bombs?

Page 6 of 7 - That later becomes a very important convefrtion. M who had amost nothng to do with thdeinging the airplane that had his name on it, immediately whitout knowing any thing at all, said yes indeed it can, it can caay 250 kg bombs, 500 kg numbs

So hitler had this idea to used them fro air to ground opeationa to use agians allies.

That conversationannd that decieions were often overrated in the sens there were a lot of things going on. No one really ordered that all the M#262 had to carry bombs

If they’d been used for ATA and have been early enough, ehey might might been able to sweep American bomberformations from the skies.

By distrupting the or anegating the air campaign might have made it neceeary to bpostpone the invations at noramy

There was a signiant effort to accommodate a serious request by hitler to do that.

But there were also air to air fighter versions that were used operationally.

The real reason there were not more of them and that they werne’t more effective is because primarily of the unreliatbility of the engines plus the fact the germans had to rely increasining on a smaller and smaller cadre of experienced pilots because we were killignt ehir pilits and they did not have replacements.

That later becomes a very important convefrtion. M who had amost nothng to do with thdeinging the airplane that had his name on it, immediately whitout knowing any thing at all, said yes indeed it can, it can caay 250 kg bombs, 500 kg numbs

So hitler had this idea to used them fro air to ground opeationa to use agians allies.

That conversationannd that decieions were often overrated in the sens there were a lot of things going on. No one really ordered that all the M#262 had to carry bombs

If they’d been used for ATA and have been early enough, ehey might might been able to sweep American bomberformations from the skies.

By distrupting the or anegating the air campaign might have made it neceeary to bpostpone the invations at noramy

There was a signiant effort to accommodate a serious request by hitler to do that.

But there were also air to air fighter versions that were used operationally.

The real reason there were not more of them and that they werne’t more effective is because primarily of the unreliatbility of the engines plus the fact the germans had to rely increasining on a smaller and smaller cadre of experienced pilots because we were killignt ehir pilits and they did not have replacements.

about development of the Nazi jet industry, the concurrent design of the British Gloster Meteor jet aircraft, and the general failure of American industry to make

Page 7 of 7 - To some degree the book is more a collection of anecdotes

The book came about as a result of aseres of converstations about what we were going to do next. Betwwen a tlofof concervaions between my editor and my publisheers, we had some different ideas about whatwe would do.

Begins and end with an weapons dslay. The first was nov 26, 1943, insterburg, Bavaria a display of a display of weonder weapons. It was indteded for an audience of one. Adolph Hitler

It ends with the AAF fair at wright field ohioi in Oct 1945 where the geneal public is invieted to come in and look at captured german aircraft that had been brought to the united states.oddly enough, there was aone man who was at both events.

Karl Baur (bauer) a ME262 test pilot. He was one og the guys we recruipted as part of operation paperclip roundup of tech scitensits and engineers.

AMC

I love the musuemand I love the guys there. I’ve known then going abck to the early 90s if not earliers. I just feel a special bond with them.

75

Bauer brought to us to give us what he new about german get aircraft tech. some of that tech went tinto the eveolving designes of American jget aircraft, part the F86 sabre. Don’t know what he did exactly.

He should not be confused with Hans Bauer, Hitlers’ personal pilot.

They did inded. There were a few pilots fighter who did an amazing job of shotting them down.

Tjere were anpit 180 american pilots whe were credited with shooting down german gets. They were all the pilots of propler diven aircraft.

The thing that mattered the most when we intro the p51 mustang it had the range that encabled it to not only accompdate bombers allt he way to their targets but also to range out from the bomber formatisn and attack the german wher they lvied

German very vulnerable twne taking off and landing. They

In the reight hands when evertig was owrkiing writht and the pilot was wll trained, the 262 was untoucbale. There was no way, not counter for it.

But not all of those things came together very often. U usually ad a less epxeneices pilot or you had a reliability issued with the engines. So weven when operating attitude, they still cold be engaved.

The pilots on the American disd did a lot of work studing hot to outmaneuver a 262. The ME 262 was mauenreable. Which is what you want in a fighter aircraft, but it wasn’t as maneuverable as a prop driven fighter. Wen at the top of its game, it might have